Magic
Magic, also referred as the Craft and the Occult, is the supernatural energy that originated from The All and can alter the fabric of reality and defy the laws of nature. Being a mere act of manipulating reality, magic is amoral though its users can be split into either the Good, Evil and Neutral categories. Magic is both a genetic heredity and a studied technique that enables a person to brew potions, cast spells, scry and possess powers. Magic is capable of changing and controlling the natural world (including events, objects, people and physical phenomena). One who is born with and practices magic is usually called a "witch". However, aside from witches, there are many other magical beings that exist such as demons, warlocks and whitelighters. Humans who were born without magical powers but follow the Wiccan Rede are called "practitioners". Wiccan practitioners are mortals with a natural affinity to magic. However, a witch practitioner must rely upon external sources of power from which to draw upon in order to use the three basic witch powers. Magic is passed on by genes, and may prove to skip one generation, as seen in the case of Billie Jenkins: although her grandmother was a witch, both her parents were perfectly normal human beings who did not possess any special powers at all. Their destined supernatural powers are present in their blood, and if a mortal comes into contact with it, he or she can gain those powers as well, but this will drive them insane as their body and mentality is not equipped to deal with them. Whilst the ability to perform magic almost always reveals itself in early childhood, and in some special cases even from the womb, there are some individuals who remain mundane until quite late in life, usually either in their late teens or their early-twenties. Overview The Three Essentials of Magic On the night the Charmed Ones discovered their Book of Shadows, Phoebe mentioned that she read in the book something about there being Three Essentials of Magic: Timing, Feeling, and the Phases of the Moon. That means that midnight on a full moon is the most powerful time for witches, especially to perform great works of magic (for example, invoking their powers). In fact, witches who gather together with their powers united are at their strongest. TheCharmed Ones' powers are linked to the essentials, as that was the night Phoebe cast the spell that granted each sister her own unique witchcraft power. Using Magic A good deal of studying and training is required to be able to perform magic effectively and correctly. While an active power is undoubtedly most desirable, witches who have an affinity for - and had thoroughly trained themselves in - the basic skills of inventing spells and brewing potions tend to be more feared and respected than other witches. This is so as these traits will almost always guarantee victory in battle over someone who relies only on their active powers. The feat of mastering all the aspects of magic is not an easy one, and only witches of the highest level and sharpest intellect had successfully accomplished this. Spells A spell is a spoken verse (mostly one or more rhyming couplets) that produces a magical effect based on its composition. The act of, as well as ability to perform spells is referred to as Spell Casting. Witches can invent and cast spells that do whatever they wish it to do, and other than an active power, spell-casting is the quickest way to utilize magic. The more powerful and creative the witch, the quicker he or she would be able to conjure up a spell to either destroy their opponents in combat or to change or create whatever they wish. They also tend to be the only ones able to cast non-verbal spells. This ability is also feature among other beings like warlocks and some demons. Potions A potion is a magical substance (usually a liquid but can come in other forms) that produces a certain effect. Potions can fulfill a vast variety of magical purposes, from vanquishing a specific demon to transforming one object into another. Potions could work by being ingested or thrown as a projectile. Like Spell Casting, the ability to make working potions is exclusive to witches and other magical beings. Active Powers Magic can also manifest in the form of an active power; a unique ability that preforms a specific function and is one of quickest ways of performing magic without resorting to spells. These powers are a biological part of the witch that pre-dominantly resides in the blood. An active power can manifest itself in several ways: in the onset of puberty, as a reflex when a magical being is in direst need, or just when the person is ready to receive the power. Powers are possessed by many magical beings and separate powers are recognizable by their moral alignment. Curse A curse is a magical enchantment designed to produce negative effects, often placed on a particular object or aimed at a certain individual. Enchanting Enchanting is a type of magic used to enchant an object or an individual to either behave abnormally or to manifest magical powers that it should not have. Limitations Regardless of how powerful a witch is, he or she is no means without limitations. For example, some witches cannot cast certain spells or brew certain potions as they lack the vast amounts of magic required for the spell or potion to be effective. Magic and Spirits Any being that is magical in nature can see the spirits of mortals and magical beings who have died, and can use magic to summon them from Up There back to earth in non-corporeal form. However, they can only stay for a short while. While some spirits could gain a corporeal form when they are summoned to earth, it does not mean that they are alive again, and are compelled to return to the afterlife after their purpose for being summoned is fulfilled. If the spirit is a witch or another magical being, he or she will retain his or her original active powers. Also, they usually develop other powers after their deaths. Magic and Mortals To prevent the outside world from learning about the existence of magic, beings called the Cleaners are there as safeguards, rewriting history, erasing minds and the like to prevent exposure. This is such a high importance issue that both Good and Evil has agreed on, to prevent magic from being exposed at any cost. However, there have been many mortals who knew about the existence of magic, and who agreed to keep it a secret from the rest of the world. These mortals are known as Secret Keepers. Mortals are capable of becoming magical through various means. They can become demons through various forms of demonic conversion and can be imbued with powers through spells, power granting or by injecting the blood from a magical being in their bodies. However, it is extremely dangerous for mortals to acquire supernatural powers because they are not meant to have them. They will become confused, then frightened, paranoid, violent, and demonic, and would ultimately die unless the powers are withdrawn out of them. History of Magic This chronology indicates broad eras in the magical history of the Charmed universe, and traces the development of the ever-widening gap between mortals and magical beings. Pre-series Chronology *'0 years ago:' The goddess Shakti and the god Shiva created the universe by consummating their love, though it was possible they were aided by other Gods. *'Million years ago:' Before the rise of humanity, reptilian beings known as Dinosaurs prospered on Earth. However, they eventually became extinct, and life had to start over. Mammals came to take over Earth, leading to the rise of the human species. However, it is still unknown if other non-human magical creatures (such as dragons) evolved alongside humans, or were created by human magic. *'Two million and half years ago:' A woman came upon the Nexus of the All, an all-powerful spiritual energy that ran through everything. She told her mate what she had found but, at first, both were too afraid to get near it. But eventually they pushed past that fear and tapped into that power. Infused with far greater powers than any human was intended to possess, their bond with the All created a place beyond consciousness and the physical realm: the Higher Realm. **However, their bond was so powerful that it contained the All within the Higher Realm, and without it the Earth started to die, forcing the two of them to return. Once back the woman gave birth to two children: the ancestors of witches and warlocks respectively. However, with each new generation the All grew thinner and thinner, and the Angels of Destiny and Elders were forced to take the mate into the Higher Realm so the All could regain some of its magic. *'"The dawn of magic"': Levro discovers the Poder Maximo spell. *'3,500 years ago: '''The Hollow, a mystical vapor, roamed free and near decimated all magic. It was required that two members of both Good and Evil to band together to bound it and lock it within a magical box. *'2,000 years ago: The Elders asked a weapon mader named Glynnis to make a magical sword that should be used to fight against evil. As the sword was being made, the Elders begun to argue to decided if the Whitelighters should be guides or warriors of the magical community. In the end the Elders decided that the Whitelighters should became guides and guarded the sword away. *'Middles Age-Modern Age: '''Fear of magic took over mortals and some people decided to hunt down witches. During this time, the Evil Enchantress attempted to take over a kingdom but her magic was binded by time travelling Charmed Ones. As time progressed witch trials became more and more violent and witches decided to flee to the New World seeking refuge. **Witches became associated with demons, who took the opportunity to steal witches powers and have depowered witches burn at the stake. In Salem, the magical witch Melinda Warren prophetized the arrival of the Charmed Ones as she was burned alive. The persecution was so great that both Good and Evil decided together to go into hiding and possibly created the Cleaners to erase any proof of the existence of magic. Natural Magic When used in certain ways with the correct intent, certain herbs and objects can be used to harness and direct energy and hence use magic, even without innate magic. This type of magic was used more prominently during the 1600s and fell into decline since modern day. *'The Besom: Also known as a common sweeping broom. When one sweeps from east to west (the path the sun travels) one can "charge" the besom. If sweeping is continued the evil and anything associated with it will be swept from one's path, as if by a gust of wind. A charged besom can even be used to fly with, hence the modern day stereotype of witches riding on broomsticks. *'The Poppet:' A poppet doll is one of the few natural magical objects that has survived into the modern era. If made from leaves it can represent the power of women, helping to focus the female witches magic. If made of Wax it can be a useful assistance in various spells such as the "Awakening" spell and the "To Lose A Love Forever" spell, again, focusing magic. *'The Conical Hat:' This simply serves to keep the witch focused and centered. Nevertheless, it is a powerful focusing tool. *'Days of Power:' Some days, such as Halloween, increase magical potency like a witch's powers and natural magic. The Protective Circle The Protective Circle replicates the effects of a force field and seems to be the olden day equivalent of the crystal cage, however this seems to be weaker. Instead of being composed of only pyrite Crystals, the circle has many, natural requisites, these are: ;Apples and Laurel Leaves :Cut an apple in half and you reveal the pentagram that they hold at their core made of their pips, this can be a symbol for good or evil and magic in general. If you press a laurel leaf into its center, you block the path of evil. Minimum amount is four to complete the circle, placed at four roughly equidistant corners. ;Lavendar & Rosemary :Both are good protection herbs, scatter these around the space in a ring to strengthen the force field. ;Carved Pumpkins :It is known that Pumpkins with the shape of a five pointed star cut out will turn away evil spirits and sometimes even demons. Which is why it would be a good idea to include them in one. All together, these ingredients would create a powerful circular forcefield of blue energy around the creators. The field repelled the riders and the horses, but was powerless against bullets.